This post is about repacking wheel bearings using my VK Commodore as the guinea pig however the same principles apply to any hub and axle set-up, be it a caravan, trailer, boat trailer, if it has tapered roller bearings in the hubs please read on and I hope you find it useful.

 The first item on our list is to remove the brake caliper and bracket and secure it to prevent stress on the rubber brake hose. Generally speaking there will be two bolts securing the caliper bracket to the strut or stub axle assembly. Tie wire is useful for securing the caliper however you don’t want it falling on you while working so be sure it’s well tied up.                                

 The next step is to remove the grease cap in the centre of the hub. Multi grip pliers work best for this, however if you have a stuborn one careful prying off with a screwdriver may be needed. Once the grease cap is removed we have a split pin and nut and washer arrangement in front of the outer bearing. Side cutting pliers are best for removing split pins, just don’t squeeze too hard or you may cut the split pin in two! Once the split pin is removed we can unscrew the hub nut and remove it and it’s washer.

 The outer bearing may fall out at this stage – if it doesn’t come out by itself it will once we start removing the disc/hub. Being careful not to let the hub drop onto the stub axle and possibly mark the axle and destroy the rear seal, remove the disc/hub. It may take a few wriggles before it comes loose. Once you have the disc removed it is time to clean all the old grease from the stub axle and inspect the area where the seal runs. If there is a noticeable groove some fine grade wet and dry sandpaper should take care of this.

 Now take your disc/hub over to your bench or kitchen table (if you want to get shot!) and place a block of wood under one side of the disc. Using a suitable punch and hammer drive the inner bearing out from the hub. Go gently and evenly around the bearing and with any luck the seal will come out with minimal damage, however I would advise you to replace the hub seal seeing as though you have come this far and they are not expensive. Now is the time to get a bit dirty (no, don’t go and hassle your wife! Not that kind of dirty!), we need to get all the old grease out from inside the hub and the only way to do this is to wipe it all out with your fingers. Make sure you have plenty of rags to clean up with. The cleaner the better so it will probably take a few goes to get it all out.

 If you are replacing your wheel bearings I would suggest removing the bearing cone at this stage. Using a punch with good square edges and the hammer drive the cone out of the hub. The outer one will come out from the front and inner from the rear. You may need to feel around a little until you find a lip of the cone to sit your punch on. When you are installing the new cones make sure that they are knocked all the way home – you will hear and feel the difference once they are seated correctly. Once again a punch with good square edges is important when fitting new bearing cones.

 If you are re-using your bearings it is time to give everything a thorough clean. This includes the grease cap, both bearings, the nut and washer and if you aren’t replacing the split pin give it a wash as well. I use petrol for this as it evaporates quickly so is unlikely to contaminate the new grease that you put in, however it is definately not the safest thing to use and is terrible for your skin. Any cleaning solution or degreaser will do the job, just make sure it is all gone before applying the new grease. Once everything is clean lay it all out on a clean rag and now we can start the real dirty part

 Unless you have a bearing packer like the one pictured this next bit is not real fun. Have plenty of rags ready for cleaning your hands. The idea is to place a reasonable amount of grease into the palm of one hand, grip the bearing as shown in the other hand and ‘rake’ the bearing through the grease with a bit of downward pressure to drive the grease in and around the rollers, not pretty but effective! Keep doing this in the one spot until you see grease coming out from the top of the rollers. If there is old grease coming out as well that is OK just keep going until you have clean grease coming to the top and wipe away any old stuff. Once you have one area done move around to the next bit and so on. If you have grease showing out the top all around the bearing then that one is done.

 Continue on to the next one and once both are done grab some more grease in your finger tips and deposit a reasonable amount inside the hub itself. This can help to waterproof the bearings to a certain extent. Now it’s time to sit the inner bearing into the hub and refit the hub seal. Gentle, even hits with a small hammer is all that is needed to fit the seal. The hub seal on my Commodore that we used for the pictures actually loacates on the stub axle and is a loose fit into the hub but I don’t know of too many vehicles that are the same.

 It’s time now to go back over to the vehicle with your hub/disc and the cleaned washer, nut, split pin and grease cap. If you notice that the middle of the grease cap is dented in (usually caused by people with big hammers refitting the cap!), now would be a good time to do a bit of panel beating and knock the dent out from the inside. They can be noisy when rubbing on the stub axle or split pin and it shortens their lifespan.

 Once again be careful not to mark the stub axle or damage the hub seal, carefully push the hub into position. Grab your already greased outer bearing and fit it in place. Without letting go of the hub slide the washer into place ( it may have a locating tag with corresponding cut out on the stub axle) and grab your hub nut and screw it up hand tight. The correct adjustment for wheel bearings is just tight enough not to allow play in the wheel. My method is while turning the hub tighten the nut with mult-grips until you feel slight resistance and you’ll be pretty close. A better way of doing it is to fit the wheel to the hub ( depends on what type of wheel you are running of course ) and if you can still get to the adjusting nut loosen it off and grab the wheel top and bottom and if you can feel movement in the wheel they are too loose. You want to adjust it until that movement has been eliminated but no tighter. I know this method is not very ‘technical’ but believe me it works!

 The next thing to do once you have the adjustment right is to fit the split pin and the grease cap. I allways put some grease inside the cap and on the surface where it contacts the hub, to try and lessen the damaging effect of water penetration – especially important on boat trailers. Gentle hits on the outside of the grease cap is all that is needed to push it home. Refit the brake caliper making sure the brake pads are fitted correctly and the mounting bolts are nice and tight and your ready for the next side!

  I think that covers all you need to know on this subject, I feel like I’ve been typing for hours so hopefully it has! Remember if you strike trouble or have any other questions I can be contacted at http://www.autofix.com.au/. All the best.

Take care and be safe on the roads.

Craig